Pencil holding accessory for telephone set



July 15, 1958 A. GUARDINO I 2,843,684

PENCIL HQLDING ACCESSORY FOR TELEPHONE SET Filed Sept. 21, 1954 Gucmvergog I WW 2 226 United States PatentO PENCIL HOLDING ACCESSORY FOR TELEPHONE SET August Guardino, Flushing, N. Y.

Application September 21, 1954, Serial No. 457,475

3 Claims. (Cl. 179-178) This invention pertains to a new and novel accessory for a telephone set. The object of the invention is to provide a practical and ornamental bracket of a simple and inexpensive nature which is attachable to the base of a telephone set and is capable of holding a pencil readily available for use.

An advantage of the invention is that it is in the form of a bracket which is readily attachable to the base of a telephone set without the aid of screws, fasteners, or tools.

The invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description, and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

in the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating the use of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a telephone accessory pencil holder embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the holder;

Fig. 4 is a front elevated view;

Fig. 5 is a view of the pad; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the pad.

In describing the invention in further detail, reference is directed to the drawings, wherein there is disclosed a conventional desk telephone set 1 including a casing having a rectangular base 2 providing upright front and side walls 3, 4. To the latter is attachable an accessory bracket 5 designed to hold a writing instrument, such as a pencil 6. The bracket has a broad elongated section 7. Bending off each end of the latter at right angles thereto is a short arm 8. The bracket is adapted to clamp upon the base 2. In this, the elongated section 7 spans the front wall 3 of the base, and the arms 8 extend over a portion of the adjacent side walls 4. The sections 7, 8 of the bracket are of a height substantially conforming to that of the walls of the base 2. The bracket is formed preferably of resilient sheet material, which may be plastic, metal, pressed fibre or the like.

The elongated upper edge of section 7 of the bracket bends forwardly, and it is formed to provide an elongated open trough 9 in which may be received and supported a pencil 6 of conventional length.

So that the pencil or other writing instrument may be readily lifted from the trough by forefinger and thumb, the trough is provided with a transverse notch 10 through its central area. This notch divides the trough in two sections 11, each of which serves to support a portion of the writing instrument. The notch is of sufficient width to freely receive the thumb of a hand so that the writing instrument may be readily lifted without difficulty from the trough by thumb and forefinger.

Bracket 5 is formed of relatively thin gauge sheet material and, to avoid any bulging thereof at its center, a strengthening rib 12 is provided across the central area thereof. This rib may be formed in the face of the material or may be provided in other suitable manner. Here it is formed by a short over-extendedpiece of the upper edge of the bracket across the notcharea. This extended piece is rolled over upon itself against the outer face of the bracket to form the rib. The rib avoids bulging or distension of the bracket in its central area.

The arms 8 of the bracket are desirably tensioned slightly inward toward one another, so that when the bracket is pressed over the base walls of the phone set, a clamping eifect is achieved.

Cushion means 14 is provided on the inner face of each side arm 8 to avoid scratching of the base walls by the bracket arms in assembling or removing the bracket.

The cushion is formed of a soft pad of sponge rubber or the like. It includes a projecting lug portion 15 which is force fitted into an opening 16 of the side arm 8. A suitable adhesive may be added to insure the adherence of the pads to the side arms.

The bracket may be located either at the front of the phone set, or at the rear thereof. When used at the rear of the telephone set, a notch 17 opening out to the bottom edge of wall 7 accommodates passage of the conventional phone cord.

Although an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A bracket of resilient thin gauge sheet material removably clampable to the wall of a rectangular base of a telephone set wherein the base comprises for adjacent rectangularly arranged vertical walls through one of which a telephone cord projects, and the vertical walls merge at the upper ends into curved walls forming the cradle of the telephone set; the said bracket comprising a pair of broad side arms engageable against an opposed pair of the vertical walls of the base adjacent to the wall with the projecting telephone cord, a broad elongated section continuous with and bridging the side arms at right angles thereto, the elongated section serving to span the wall having the projecting cord, the latter section being notched in its lower edge to accommodate the telephone cord therethrough, and the upper edge of the elongated section extending forwardly to define an open trough for holding a writing instrument.

2. A bracket as in claim 1, wherein cushion pads are provided upon the braces of the arms that contact the walls of the base to avoid scratching of the latter.

3. For use in combination with a telephone set having a rectangular base of vertical walls and an upper cradle section defined by walls tapering upward from the said vertical walls and wherein one of the base walls has a projecting telephone cord, a clamp bracket formed of resilient sheet material for holding a pencil; the bracket comprising an elongated body section, a short arm con tinuous with each end of the body section and substantially at right angles thereto, the body section and the arms being of a height substantially equal to that of the walls of the base, the body section adapted to span the base wall having the telephone cord, and the arms adapted to engage the adjacent walls of the base; the arms of the bracket being tensioned a little inwardly toward one another to effect a clamping grip upon the walls of the base, and including cushion pads on their inner faces to avoid scratching the said walls; the lower edge of the body section having a notch to accommodate passage of the telephone cord, the upper edge of the body section extending forwardly to define a trough for resting a writing instrument, the trough being notched out in its central 3 area to permit free access of a thumb of the hand to lift the writing instrument free of the trough; and a rib across the said notched area of the trough defined by a portion of the upper edge of the body section curled over upon itself, the rib serving to prevent collapse of the body section upon outward movement of the inwardly turned arms during .a clamping action of the latter upon the related walls of the base.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Levine Mar. 14, 1950 Levine Mar. 14, 1950 Anteau Feb. 26, 1952 Watts July 29, 1952 Kimball June 16, 1953 

